JOURNEYS Chapter Two
by T'eyla Minh
Summary: Okay, I get the hint! Chapter Two is here... albeit very little of it. Yet more J/J and there WILL be more A/M - I have it written but it doesn't fit in yet. I don't know if this'll ever be finished, but enjoy what's here, anyway.
1. Memories

****

"JOURNEYS"

(A STORY IN TWO PARTS)

BY T'EYLA MINH

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone here, but you all knew that. As before, this is not intended for profit on my part, and all I get out of it is psyche satisfaction! Please don't sue me!

AUTHOR'S NOTES: It's here, finally! Part Two has arrived! Actually this was never supposed to be in two parts, but it took me so long to put it together that I thought I ought to separate it before my writer's block got the better of me! In this one I've focussed on some of Jessie and James' past and since I got thoroughly confused reading all the other fanfics, I decided to forget ANY continuity at all and start from scratch… This assumes that Jessie has been to James' house ONCE, when they were both twelve, but presumably has forgotten all about it (or has chosen to forget about it), and this is why she didn't know about Jessiebell in "Holy Matrimony". (And I'm sorry about that accent, I've only seen the episode about three times!) Also I haven't got a clue how that Pokémon Tech stuff works, so I've based it on my own University knowledge! I think that about makes excuses for everything. Aside from continuing from where the other one ended, set, as you know, five years into the future, this expands over yet another two or three years. What can I say, I like dragging things out!

And, yeah, this isn't finished, but I don't want to get lynched for not putting it up at all. DO NOT FLAME ME! I have better things to do with my time than finish this and I admit it's taking a lot longer than I thought. I promise I will put up new chapters as soon as I write them and get them beta-ed. You'll just have to stay in suspense. If anyone wants spoilers as to what's going to happen in this (I know what I want to do, which is something), e-mail me at [**Teyla_Minh@team-rocket-fan.com**][1]** and I'll let you know. Otherwise, you'll just have to wait :P**

WARNING: Brock fans are going to hate me for this one… and probably Jessie fans too. I apologise in advance, but I wanted to do angsty this time around. You know how it is when you suddenly get a wonderfully evil idea that just won't go away… although considering how Brock is NOW, this is sort of inevitable. Don't reprimand me for this, I overdid it on freshly squeezed creative juice!

RATING: I think, in British rating, this would possibly be a 12 or a 15... Don't know how that translates - possibly PG-13-ish. Certainly a higher rating than the last one for implications if anything.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Once again, many thanks to my beta-reader 'Ruby Jesse', who gave me the go ahead on the Brock idea… and pestered me to finish. Plus her lovely comments were a joy to read - thanks, Ruby!

PS: As before, _this_ is thoughts, and ***this*** is a dream sequence.

CHAPTER TWO -THE JOURNEY ENDS…

1. Memories

James was distraught. He'd just made possibly the biggest mistake of his life… but there was no way to rectify it in the immediately foreseeable future.

He ran over all of the reasons he could think of to justify it… and came up with nothing. _No!_ he thought, reprimanding himself, _Come on James, you can think of something. This IS for the best. What would Jessie do?_ Jessie… he sighed. _Well that's a start._ Her little outburst before had been partly to blame for his decision, not that he blamed HER personally. He knew she hated their lives as criminals, he did too, and it had been becoming increasingly obvious as they continually failed to catch Pikachu. Even when they DID catch the rodent, Meowth had lost interest. It seemed only natural that he and Jessie were going to flip as well, eventually, but he was surprised that it was Jessie who was first. She had scared him earlier - well, okay, she always scared him - but to see her suddenly transform, from the strong and non-emotional person he'd known, to the upset and unsure person that had confronted him - that terrified him. He depended on her strength and decisiveness, and in that moment, she seemed to be depending on HIS. So he'd made a decision, that money was the answer, and stealing it was not the way to get it. One way or another, he'd need to get his inheritance.

The only trouble was now, he didn't have a single clue how he was going to do that. In truth, he needed Jessie to help him, or to come up with something like the last time he'd gone home. Except that Jessie was far behind him on the roadside. Leaving her there, especially when she was upset and confused about what he had suggested, was quite possibly the most difficult thing he'd ever had to do. *I should have told her, right then* he thought in desperation, and his heart sank. His face, however, took on an expression of grim determination and he straightened up in the seat of the jeep. _I'm going to do this. _ He reiterated it out loud. "I'm going to do this! No matter how long it takes! No matter who I have to marry! I will get that money!" Then, slightly louder, "It may take days, it may take years, but one day, Jess, I will find you!" He shouted to the world at large like a man possessed, certain that somehow she could hear him and know. His previous determination soon turned to panic, however, as the mansion he used to call home loomed ominously on the approaching horizon…

It had once been a place of great memories, that house. It was perfect for a boy growing up, with its large grounds, fair-sized swimming pool, and not to mention the hundreds of rooms. All good memories - learning to swim when he was six, having huge parties in the garden for friends, fast-paced games of Hide-N-Seek with Growly… but all of that came to an abrupt end with arrival of his twelfth birthday. On that day, James had been casually informed at six in the morning that he had a scholarship to go to Pokémon Tech, and he started that very day. It had not been the fabulous day he had expected and would almost have been unbearable had it not been for Jessie. They'd started on the same day and both found each looking lost. James remembered it like it was yesterday…

***

He was late for his third class of the day, 'Introduction to Fire Types', and was running down a corridor he thought looked promising, only because it was the only one he hadn't tried that day. He wasn't looking where he was going and before he knew it he was sprawled on the floor, dazed, having run into someone going in the opposite direction. The Someone, similarly sprawled opposite him, was a girl his age, with the longest, reddest hair he'd ever seen, and quite possibly the bluest eyes. He shook his head to clear the cobwebs, then got up, holding out a hand to help her up. She glowered at him, knocked the hand away, and proceeded to help herself up.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Do I LOOK okay to you?"

"Not really. You look mad."

"That's because I AM mad!" she paused. "Why didn't you look where you were going?"

"I don't know where I'm going."

"You're lost?"

"Sorta…maybe"

"You're lost." she smirked. She tilted her head sideways and regarded him curiously. "Why is your hair blue?" she asked.

"I dunno… just is."

"I never met anyone with blue hair before." She seemed impressed. "Well, anyway, I'm Jessica."

"James."

There was a pause. He wondered what she was going to say next… and whether she even liked him, for that matter, he couldn't tell. *Well, she wouldn't have told me her name if she didn't* he supposed. *Although, she did seem real mad at me…* His brain couldn't cope with this on his first day, but luckily she asked him more questions to stop him thinking.

"What class are you trying to get to?"

"It's called 'Introduction to Fire Types', or something." he admitted.

"Hey, me too!"

There was a chance he'd get there after all! "Great! Do you know where it is?" he asked, hopeful that she did. She turned a deep shade of red that matched her hair.

"Actually… no." she said sheepishly, and looked at her feet.

AHA! He'd got her! "So you're lost too?" he said, and grinned triumphantly. She seemed to growl.

"OKAY, so I'm lost! I've been late to all of my classes today… and it's only my first day!"

"Mine too!"

"On my BIRTHDAY!"

"Wow! Same here! That's so weird."

"It's just not fair!" she wailed.

"I know!" he agreed. Then they looked at each other, realised the complete oddness of meeting someone in the exact same predicament, and burst out laughing. Then James decided to do it properly and held out a hand for her to shake. "Well, Jessica, it's nice to meet you." She shook his hand. 

"Nice to meet you too."

"I've just had an idea," he said, "if you're game…"

He interpreted her mischievous grin as the affirmative, and proceeded to explain his idea, which was basically to not bother going to any classes that day. They had another five years, he figured, what difference would one day make? So, they spent the rest of their first day at Pokémon Tech exchanging life stories. 'Jessie', as she had given him permission to call her, explained that she had recently moved into the area so that she could go to Pokémon Tech, and had left all of her friends behind. Unfortunately her parents had been unable to afford the same standard of house they had moved from, and she told him how much smaller their new home was. She prompted James to describe his house, and was completely in awe of it. They also told each other how they'd got into the Tech in the first place, and it turned out that she had got in purely using her brain… her family couldn't afford the expensive scholarships that were apparently purchased at a child's birth. Each was impressed by the other, and they were best friends almost immediately.

Finally, and regretfully, their day came to an end… but then James had another idea.

"You can come round for dinner if you want. My parents will be so glad I've found a friend." he told her. She agreed, eager to see the apparently castle-sized house he had described to her. They reached the front door, and she stood on the doorstep, looking up in wonder at its many floors and hundreds of windows. "You'd better wait here." he suggested. "They don't like unannounced guests."

"Sure…." she replied absently, still glued to the spot as she found yet another fascinating detail about the house that she hadn't spotted before. James laughed lightly - she looked funny like that - then entered the house, shutting the door.

"I'm home, mother, father. I've got someone I'd like you to-" He was cut short as his parents emerged in the hallway, standing either side of someone who looked remarkably like Jessie. His father smiled broadly and spoke in an enthusiastic tone.

"Ah James, my boy. How was your day?"

"Actually, that's what I was-"

"Good, good." he interrupted. "We've got a surprise for you. This -" the girl stepped forward "- is Jessiebell." He waited for James to say something, expecting him to understand what was going on… then looked impatient. "Your future wife."

James' mouth dropped open and stayed like it for several seconds until his mother frowned at him.

"James, manners!" she scolded. He shut his mouth, straightened up nervously and approached the Jessie look-alike with his hand outstretched.

"H-hi." he managed to say. Jessiebell immediately grabbed his hand firmly and shook it until he thought his wrist would snap, all the while talking at him in an irritating accent he couldn't quite place.

"Why, hello James! Ah've heard so much abaht you. So glad we can fahnally meet!" She 'tsk'ed at him. "You're not shakin' hands properly… here, let me show you how it's duhn!" She continued to talk at him but he wasn't listening, he was too much in a daze. Then he remembered that Jessie was still on the doorstep. He had to get her off the grounds before his father found out, so he made some flimsy excuse about hearing the doorbell and left.

Outside, Jessie was now sitting on the doorstep waiting for him to let her in. She was expectant… or annoyed, he couldn't figure out which. He gave her a story about a family crisis and hoped she'd understand and not ask pressing questions.

"…I'm really sorry, Jessie, but maybe some other time. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's okay… if you've got a family crisis I don't want to interfere or get in the way."

He sighed with relief. "Great. Thanks for understanding."

"Sure."

"So… I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked hopefully.

"You bet! I can't wait for tomorrow! It's about Cat-types, isn't it?"

"Yeah… I like them. I have a Growlithe, but I like the Cat-types too!"

"Wow." she said. "This gets weirder and weirder… I bet we'll discover we're really twins that got separated at birth!"

"That'd be cool." he said.

"Yeah." There was an uncomfortable pause, then she remembered something. "How about you come round for dinner at my house tomorrow?"

"Really? Your parents won't mind?"  
"No, they love company."

"Okay, you've got a date!" he blushed. "Uh - figuratively speaking…" Luckily she smiled. He pointed her in the direction of the main gates. "Goodbye, Jessie! See you tomorrow!"

"Goodbye, James! Hope the family thing works out!" They waved to each other from each end of the driveway, and with that she was gone. James then remembered his parents, screamed lightly to himself, and ran back inside.

His father looked very impatient, his mother gave him one of her infamous, patented 'You've-failed-us-James' looks, and Jessiebell looked upset. Then he realised that he didn't actually care. His father explained the situation to him completely - that Jessiebell's parents were looking to marry her into money to keep it in the family, and that James was the only boy her age from all the families they knew. Then he went on to explain, to James horror, that not only was she betrothed to him, but that she was MOVING IN! His life, from that point on, was going to be Hell…

***

James finally parked the jeep outside the gate. That day, the day they met, was the first and last time they'd ever said goodbye until a few hours ago. They'd spent nearly every evening at Jessie's house, and sometimes the nights too, because he couldn't face going home. Jessiebell would get insanely jealous even if he so much as said hello to other girls, so inviting Jessie over was completely out of the question. He had kept to his story of a family crisis… and that it had got completely out of control, which in a way it had. Jessiebell's torture chamber could certainly be construed as being out of control…

Throughout the years they had known each other, however, they'd never said goodbye… they usually never had time to when James was rushing off home after some frantic call from either his parents or the Banshee. They worked together and had fun together, they studied together and failed together (for which James blamed himself entirely - she had followed his revision plan as a matter of courtesy, despite her own being much better), they had gotten kicked out of Pokémon Tech and subsequently gotten signed up with Giovanni that same day, together. Then Meowth came along, and the three of them were still, always, together… it became second nature to find the other two of them there.

Then, of course, it had all gone horribly wrong… their lives became increasingly pointless as each week of failure passed. Meowth walked away from it, literally… and now James had driven away from it. In the hope of one day having a better life than he was used to. He and Jessie had said goodbye for the first time in nine years. He was alone, about to walk straight back into a life he had spent most of his teenage life trying to get out of…

The jeep pulled up at the all-too-familiar main gates, and he entered the access code that opened them. As they slowly swung apart, the house was released from its prison from behind the wrought iron bars. _A prison… a pretty good description…_ he thought. Once the gates were fully open, he began to walk slowly up the long driveway towards the mansion. His inheritance, and thus his only ticket to the happiness he figured he MUST deserve by now, lay within those four walls. And he was damned if he was going to run away now…

   [1]: mailto:Teyla_Minh@team-rocket-fan.com



	2. Going Home

2. Going home

James stood on the threshold of the building, hesitating again. _What if all this is for nothing…?_ Immediately he put all useless thoughts to the back of his mind and rang the doorbell. Within seconds, the butler Hobbs opened the door.

"Yes?" he asked. James said nothing, but simply stared at the now old butler, waiting for the realisation to hit. "Master James! What are you doing here?!". He was pleased to see him but seemed nervous.

"I've come home. I have to do what needs to be done." he lied, as sincerely as possible… and then realised that technically he wasn't lying. Hobbs was evidently looking for Jessie, remembering the last time James had come home. "She's not here." A pause while the dapper man straightened up. "For goodness' sake, Hobbs. It's me! Little Jimmy! Let me in!" said James, not sure whether to be annoyed or amused by the butler's behaviour. Hobbs smiled and then waved him through into the house, noting the immediate lack of luggage and the fact that James was still wearing the uniform of his employment… he still wasn't entirely convinced that his partner and that Meowth weren't going to leap out of the nearest bush and jump him. After a few seconds surveying the grounds for suspicious persons, he eventually followed James through, closing the door, and listened to the story that he had already started babbling.

James watched his every word… he mentioned that he was quit - well that was true - and that he had decided that the best thing would be to perform his rightful duty as son and heir to the fortune. He was careful not to mention Jessie even in passing, mainly because he was sure it would drop him right in it, and partially because he wasn't sure he wouldn't break down in tears if he mentioned her. Even just thinking about it made his heart hit his knees. Luckily, Hobbs bought the story. He stopped in the huge hallway and indicated for James to stay put.

"If you wait here, I'll inform your parents that you're here." he said. James nodded. Suddenly the butler grabbed him in a bear hug and then let go, looking embarrassed. "It's good to have you back." James smiled in spite of himself and couldn't resist replying with:

"It's good to be back." The butler resumed his original professionalism and walked in the direction of the Great Hall. James looked around and noted how the place, scarily, hadn't changed at all since his childhood. Everything was in precisely the same position as it had always been, the furniture, the floor rugs, even the ornaments, and he remembered how he would take perverse pleasure in moving one of them a few millimetres to the right just to annoy his mother. He was just about to swap two of the china Persians around when he was alerted by a familiar voice.

"James, my son. Welcome home." It was his mother.

"Glad to see you've finally come to your senses. " That was his father. He nodded to them both.

"Mother. Father. It's good to see you." It seemed so detached. No poignant reunions for his family, they disliked disorder, and emotional greetings and gestures simply weren't done - it wasn't proper. Talking of which, where was she, that screeching harpy he had come to know and hate as Jessiebell? He didn't particularly want to find out, and instead examined his parents. They had both been in their thirties when he was born, and now in their fifties they looked haggard - perhaps they had missed their only son after all? (Although he highly doubted it when they had their prodigal daughter still living in the mansion, when she was 'proper' and perfect, unlike himself.) As they stood side by side he couldn't place why they seemed so familiar; aside from the fact that they were his parents, obviously, he could remember this image from somewhere, but his head hurt too much to focus on anything but the present. 

His voice defied his brain by asking: "Where's Jessiebell?" _What? I don't give a damn where she is!! She can be dead for all I care!_ He resisted the urge to smack himself on the head in frustration, and listened to his mother.

"She is asleep at the moment, James, dear. She'll be downstairs in a few hours. She'll be so glad to see you!" said his mother. _Yes, I bet she will_, he thought, _Jessiebell and her torture chamber will be very pleased to see me back._

"She's been pining, poor thing - beginning to think you'd never marry her." added his father. _Any chance of following up that idea?_ He was seriously beginning to consider asking if he could. His mother then piped up again.

"Hobbs?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"See to it that James get some better clothes, and, please, dispose of that outfit… send it back to his employer with our compliments." Luckily she didn't see him pale. Giovanni finding out his location was the last thing he needed to happen.

"Certainly." the butler smiled. "Come along, young James, I believe your suit is still here from the last time. It may be a little snug but it'll do for now." He walked in the direction of James' old room, and James followed, despite knowing the way. He was sure he'd end up getting lost - he was getting more and more dazed as he contemplated his situation. The two of them passed a familiar door, which was ominously quiet within - Jessiebell's room. _She even SLEEPS properly!_ he figured, disdainfully.

They reached his old room, and like the others it was untouched… in fact it looked more like a shrine than a bedroom. He immediately shoved that thought to the back of his mind and flopped down heavily on the bed. Hobbs went to the wardrobe and took out the suit, waiting patiently for instructions.

"Thank you Hobbs. You can leave it on the chair." Hobbs did so. "Is dinner still at six?"

"Of course."

"In that case inform them that I'll be down then."

"As you wish." He eyed James' uniform. "And your current attire, Master James?"

"Less of the Master, just James is fine." The butler nodded his assent. "And as for this - I'll take care of it. You needn't concern yourself with it." He hoped he didn't sound too desperate for Hobbs not to interfere, and to his utter relief the butler nodded again and left him alone.

James watched the door close and waited for the footsteps to disappear, then he locked himself in and got changed. He placed his uniform carefully on a hanger, remembering old times. He walked into the wardrobe and found the false wall, behind which he used to hide things he didn't want his parents to find, and he was just about to hang up the uniform when a box caught his eye. *Must be the stuff I never got around to sorting before I left…* he thought. He took out the box, put the hanger on the rail, and replaced the panel to hide it. Then he sat on his bed and decanted the contents of the box onto the covers.

_Wow…_ he thought, _I don't even remember half of this stuff._ There were various small toys from when he was a boy, mainly presents off Jessie - all clockwork pokémon. He'd bought three himself, the first three, and she'd bought him the other twelve. There were twenty in the collection and he'd got fifteen of them… and he was still looking for the other five. He wound them all up and set them going along the bed, watching as they fell off the end. _Pikachu, Growlithe, Meowth, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Ekans, Koffing, Squirtle, Psyduck, Onix, Starmee, Goldene, Lickitung, Victreebell and Lapras,_ he mentally named them all… then realised that they were incredibly familiar… _Guess I was fated to join the Team… and fated to meet those twerps… I wonder what else fate has in store?_ As he was putting them all back in the box, he noticed another, smaller box inside, and took it out curiously. The lid was held on with an elastic band, that hadn't stood the test of time very well; as soon as he tried to remove it, it crumbled to rubbery dust and the lid of the box sprung off. James found himself being rained on by about a hundred or so photographs. He gathered them up and went through them all systematically.

There were photos of himself, photos of Jessie, and mainly photos of them both together, at various stages throughout their lives… even their first day as Rockets, with an incredibly cheesed-off Meowth between them. That was the last of the photos chronologically (they'd all been dated), which he figured must have been right, since he'd gone home that day to sort out possessions, and had eventually decided that photos probably weren't the most useful things to take on their mission. He'd only taken one - a copy of one of the pictures of them together, his favourite one. It had gotten torn in half once in an argument. He'd ended up with one half and she'd got the other, and each of them had the half with their partner on it. He was certain she'd kept her half too, because he'd gone back with some tape to renovate the picture and the other half was mysteriously absent…

It was then that he recalled who his parents had reminded him of earlier - it was of himself and Jessie when they had dressed up as an old couple to fool some kid… yet another of their failed plans, way back when they actually enjoyed their work. He sighed heavily. It was all very well telling her he'd find her, and he'd really said it to convince HIMSELF. But he was beginning to have doubts. Realistically it was virtually impossible… if she even managed to stay alive… That thought joined the other one at the back of his mind.

Suddenly, he realised it was already six o'clock, so he bolted down the stairs to the dining room. When he got there, he was met by three rather irritated faces, and skidded to a halt. The huge table was the centrepiece of the room, which had tall, arched windows and a chandelier at each end. His father sat at one end of the twenty-person-long table, and his mother at the other, with Jessiebell on one side. She was situated, naturally, exactly in the middle, and James noted with dismay that his seat was directly opposite hers. He sat down and started to apologise, only to be interrupted by his father.

"I hope this will not become a regular occurance, James."

"Sorry, father. It's been five years, I was getting used to the layout of the house. It won't happen again." His father backed off after seeing his mother's warning look. James turned to Jessiebell, in an attempt to at least try and talk to her civilly. "Jessiebell -"

"Not nahw, James. Much as Ah'm pleased ta see ya, it ain't proper to discuss thangs at the dinner table."

"Sorry." With that the conversation dissipated, and the four people sat in silence. Hobbs brought out the meal, and it was served up, eaten, and cleaned away with equal unenthusiasm. _This is the first meal I haven't enjoyed_, thought James glumly.


End file.
